Various types of exercise machines for strengthening and conditioning the body are known. One type of exercise machine is a combination leg press and extended leg calf raise machine which typically has a common user support for the user to sit on and a foot platform to put their feet on while performing leg presses or calf raises. To perform leg presses a user sits on the user support which includes a bottom and back seat, adjusts the back seat according to user size and stretch, and places their entire feet on the foot platform. The user then presses the platform in a back and forth fashion to perform leg presses. During exercise the foot platform will either pivot back and forth, the foot platform will linearly move back and forth, or the user support will linearly move back and forth based upon the design of the combination leg press and calf raise machine. Resistance is typically connected to the foot platform or the user support. This will exercise the upper leg and glute muscles of the user.
To perform extended leg calf raises on this same machine a user sits on the user support, adjusts the back seat according to user size and stretch, and outwardly stretches their legs and places the balls of their feet on the bottom of the foot platform. The user then pivots their feet at their ankles which will cause the foot platform to move away from the user. The user repeats this pivot motion for the desired number of repetitions. This will exercise the user's calf muscles. This will also exercise the leg and glute muscles because the user's legs are in an outwardly stretched position which help support the calf muscles while exercising. This type of extended leg calf raise exercise does not isolate a user's calf muscles during exercise.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/934,922, wherein Roger Batca is the inventor, shows a combination exercise machine that allows a user to perform leg presses, extended leg calf raises, as well as seated calf raises which isolate the calf muscles. To perform leg presses and extended leg calf raises a user sits on a pivotally attached user support assembly and presses a pivotally attached foot platform outward. To perform seated calf raises a user sits on the user support assembly placing their legs in a generally ninety degree position, adjusts a movable brace pad assembly to an upward position, and presses a multi function handle bar assembly to lift the user support assembly to allow the brace pad assembly to be positioned above the knees to support the legs. The user then pivots their feet at the ankles causing the user support to pivot up and down. This will isolate the user's calf muscles during exercise.
It is a belief among fitness professionals that exercising one's muscles with different types of movements and angles provides optimal muscle growth. As mentioned in paragraph two above, leg press machines can be designed and made wherein the user support assembly or the foot platform can linearly move back and forth during leg press exercise. Thus it would also be advantageous to have a leg exercise machine that would allow a user to perform linear motion leg presses and extended calf raises, as well as pivotal motion seated calf raises to isolate the calf muscles during exercise. Combination exercise machines are cost efficient to manufacture and space efficient because numerous stations can share the same framework and the same resistance load.